Article
Neurosciences
Maria-Eleftheria Evangelopoulos, Georgios Koutsis, Fotini Boufidou, Manolis Markianos
Summary: Cholesterol levels may be associated with disease characteristics in multiple sclerosis, particularly with demyelination and immune response. This study found lower levels of plasma and cerebrospinal fluid cholesterol in patients with multiple sclerosis. Patients with positive oligoclonal bands had even lower cerebrospinal fluid cholesterol levels, which may be related to disease progression and enhanced humoral immune response.
NEUROBIOLOGY OF DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jose Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo, Marlene Alonso-Juarez, Joseph Jankovic
Summary: This study reviewed the medical records and video recordings of 155 TS patients and found that 26.5% of them had OM tics. Compared to classic tardive dyskinesia, OM tics have different manifestations and are more commonly associated with oromandibular and eye-rolling movements. Therefore, it is important to differentiate between the two.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Xiang Zhang, Hongjun Hao, Tao Jin, Wei Qiu, Huan Yang, Qun Xue, Jian Yin, Ziyan Shi, Hai Yu, Xiaopei Ji, Xiaobo Sun, Qiuming Zeng, Xiaoni Liu, Jingguo Wang, Huining Li, Xiaoyan He, Jing Yang, Yarong Li, Shuangshuang Liu, Alexander Y. Lau, Feng Gao, Shimin Hu, Shuguang Chu, Ding Ding, Hongyu Zhou, Haifeng Li, Xiangjun Chen
Summary: The nationwide prevalence of cerebrospinal fluid oligoclonal band (CSF-OCB) in Chinese multiple sclerosis (MS) patients is 76.4%, and it demonstrates a good diagnostic performance in differentiating MS from other CNS diseases. The CSF-OCB prevalence in Chinese MS patients is correlated with high latitude and altitude.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Maor Mermelstein, Jonathan Naftali, Adi Wilf-Yarkoni, Itay Lotan, Mark Andrew Hellmann, Israel Steiner
Summary: This study retrospectively collected data from 48 patients with neurological diseases and found that approximately 12.5% of the patients had a change in their CSF OCBs status between two lumbar punctures. However, this change did not have a practical impact on the final diagnosis or clinical management of the patients.
JOURNAL OF THE NEUROLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Katharina Pannewitz-Makaj, Ulrich Wurster, Konstantin Fritz Jendretzky, Stefan Gingele, Kurt-Wolfram Suehs, Martin Stangel, Thomas Skripuletz, Philipp Schwenkenbecher
Summary: Cerebrospinal fluid analysis is crucial for the diagnosis of neurological disorders, with evidence of immunoglobulin synthesis being more common in inflammatory diseases. However, this phenomenon can also be found at a low frequency in non-inflammatory diseases.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ranjani Ganapathy Subramanian, Dana Horakova, Manuela Vaneckova, Balazs Lorincz, Jan Krasensky, Eva Kubala Havrdova, Tomas Uher
Summary: The study found that natalizumab treatment can reduce inflammatory markers in the cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis patients, decrease the levels of white blood cells and proteins, as well as the number of oligoclonal bands in the cerebrospinal fluid. Additionally, the baseline IgM index was found to predict brain volume loss during natalizumab treatment.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Peter G. E. Kennedy, Woro George, Xiaoli Yu
Summary: Intrathecal immunoglobulin G (IgG) and oligoclonal bands (OCBs) detected in both the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are seminal features of multiple sclerosis (MS). The presence of OCBs correlates with elevated disease burden and severity and supports the diagnosis of MS. Despite numerous investigations, the precise antigenic specificity of OCBs remains elusive.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tamara Pringsheim, Christos Ganos, Christelle Nilles, Andrea E. E. Cavanna, Donald L. L. Gilbert, Erica Greenberg, Andreas Hartmann, Tammy Hedderly, Isobel Heyman, Holan Liang, Irene Malaty, Osman Malik, Nanette Mol Debes, Kirsten Muller Vahl, Alexander Munchau, Tara Murphy, Peter Nagy, Tamsin Owen, Renata Rizzo, Liselotte Skov, Jeremy Stern, Natalia Szejko, Yulia Worbe, Davide Martino
Summary: In 2020, there was a significant increase in referrals for young people with rapid onset of severe tic-like behaviors. A working group was formed to develop clinical criteria for the diagnosis of functional tic-like behaviors (FTLBs) to aid in recognition and diagnosis by healthcare professionals.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Benjamin Vlad, Ina Reichen, Stephan Neidhart, Marc Hilty, Dimitra Lekaditi, Christine Heuer, Amanda Eisele, Mario Ziegler, Markus Reindl, Andreas Lutterotti, Axel Regeniter, Ilijas Jelcic
Summary: Basic CSF parameters vary considerably in different clinical phenotypes of MOGAD. Q(Alb)>10x10(-3) and absence of CSF-restricted OCB are highly useful to differentiate MOGAD from MS.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Pathology
Louise Wienholt, Alisa Kane, Stephen Adelstein, Alexander Richardson, Kavitha Kothur, Fabienne Brilot, Russell C. Dale
Summary: CSF free light chain (FLC) analysis is a useful adjunct in diagnosing pediatric neuroinflammatory conditions, showing higher sensitivity and specificity in inflammatory diseases compared to traditional diagnostic tests, and better correlation with diagnostic classification of diseases.
Article
Neurosciences
Justyna Polak, Johanna H. Wagnerberger, Silje Boen Torsetnes, Ida Lindeman, Rune A. Aa. Hoglund, Frode Vartdal, Ludvig M. Sollid, Andreas Lossius
Summary: By analyzing single-cell RNA-seq data and mass spectrometry of intrathecally synthesized IgG, researchers identified the cellular source of oligoclonal IgG in multiple sclerosis. They found that the IgG mainly originated from clonally expanded antibody-secreting cells rather than individual cells. The study suggests heterogeneity among the cells that produce oligoclonal IgG in multiple sclerosis.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Tobias Zrzavy, Romana Hoftberger, Isabella Wimmer, Thomas Berger, Paulus Rommer, Stefan Macher
Summary: Autoimmune encephalitis presents a diagnostic challenge due to its diverse clinical manifestations. A monocentric cohort study showed that some AIE patients had normal CSF results at diagnosis, highlighting the importance of antibody testing in timely diagnosis. OCB status in anti-NMDAR AIE patients may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker, but further studies are needed for validation.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
James Peters, Nirosen Vijiaratnam, Heather Angus-Leppan
Summary: This study reviewed the clinical spectrum of tic disorders induced by AED, including the types of AED implicated and the characteristics of the symptoms. The analysis revealed that multiple AEDs can induce tic disorders, suggesting that the cause is unlikely to be solely related to alterations in a single neurotransmitter, but rather a network imbalance influenced by various factors.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Carmen Teresa Sanz Diaz, Silvia de las Heras Florez, Mercedes Carretero Perez, Miguel Angel Hernandez Perez, Vicente Martin Garcia
Summary: In this study, the performance of CSF K-FLC and K-Index in the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) was evaluated. The K-Index was found to have higher sensitivity in screening for MS, and it could serve as a potential diagnostic biomarker.
FRONTIERS IN NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jose Fidel Baizabal-Carvallo, Marlene Alonso-Juarez, Joseph Jankovic
Summary: Tics are rapid, recurrent, non-rhythmic movements or emitted sounds. This study compared tics associated with Tourette syndrome (TS) and secondary tic disorders (STD). It found that patients with TS had a younger age at onset, more severe and complex tics, and involvement of cranial-cervical muscles. Simple phonic tics showed the highest diagnostic accuracy for TS, but there was overlap in tic types and comorbidities between TS and STD patients.
JOURNAL OF NEURAL TRANSMISSION
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Davide Martino, Tammy Hedderly, Tara Murphy, Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl, Russell C. Dale, Donald L. Gilbert, Renata Rizzo, Andreas Hartmann, Peter Nagy, Mathieu Anheim, Tamsin Owen, Osman Malik, Morvwen Duncan, Isobel Heyman, Holan Liang, Andrew McWilliams, Shauna O'Dwyer, Carolin Fremer, Natalia Szejko, Velda X. Han, Kasia Kozlowska, Tamara M. Pringsheim
Summary: There has been a significant increase in adolescents and young adults seeking urgent help for functional tic-like behaviors (FTLBs) between 2019 and 2022. An international collaborative group collected retrospective data to better understand this spectrum and its clinical differences from primary tic disorders. The study findings suggest that social media exposure may be a relevant contributing factor to FTLBs.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Anna Lena Fisse, Jeremias Motte, Thomas Grueter, Felix Kohle, Cornelius Kronlage, Jan-Hendrik Stahl, Natalie Winter, Tabea Seeliger, Stefan Gingele, Frauke Stascheit, Benjamin Hotter, Juliane Klehmet, Karsten Kummer, Elena K. Enax-Krumova, Dietrich Sturm, Thomas Skripuletz, Jens Schmidt, Min-Suk Yoon, Kalliopi Pitarokoili, Helmar C. Lehmann, Alexander Grimm
Summary: This study investigates the current care of patients with immune-mediated polyneuropathies in specialized centers in Germany and provides important epidemiological insights. The findings suggest that the development of specific treatment and follow-up recommendations is necessary to ensure a uniform standard of patient care.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tabea Seeliger, Henrike Neelke Dreyer, Janna Margaretha Siemer, Lena Boenig, Stefan Gingele, Maike Franziska Dohrn, Nils Prenzler, Diana Ernst, Torsten Witte, Thomas Skripuletz
Summary: Sjogren's syndrome is a potentially treatable cause of Small Fiber Neuropathy (SFN). This study found no significant differences in symptoms and cerebrospinal fluid parameters between SFN patients with and without Sjogren's syndrome. However, SFN patients with Sjogren's syndrome had lower intraepidermal nerve fiber densities, suggesting a different pathomechanism.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Alireza Soleimani, Sajjad Ghane Ezabadi, Nora Moehn, Zahra Moghimi Esfandabadi, Zahra Khosravizadeh, Thomas Skripuletz, Maryam Azimzadeh
Summary: Hormonal imbalance is a significant factor in the severity of multiple sclerosis (MS). Hormone therapy has shown potential in regulating the immune system and protecting nerves in experimental studies. Thyroid, melatonin, and sex hormones have been found to improve neurological impairment by regulating the immune system, providing neuroprotection, and reducing oxidative stress. Understanding hormone therapy can lead to the identification of new molecular/cellular pathways in MS.
METABOLIC BRAIN DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Carolin Fremer, Natalia Szejko, Anna Pisarenko, Martina Haas, Luise Laudenbach, Claudia Wegener, Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl
Summary: Since 2019, there has been a global increase in patients exhibiting functional Tourette-like behaviors (FTB), which is believed to be caused by exposure to tic-related content on social media. This paper introduces the concept of mass social media-induced illness (MSMI) as a new type of mass sociogenic illness (MSI). The study compares clinical characteristics of patients diagnosed with MSMI-FTB and Tourette syndrome/chronic tic disorders (TS/CTD) to distinguish between the two. The main findings include a higher age at onset, a higher rate of females, a higher rate of obscene and socially inappropriate symptoms, a lower rate of comorbid ADHD, and a lower rate of OCD/OCB among patients with MSMI-FTB.
EUROPEAN ARCHIVES OF PSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Tabea Seeliger, Emelie Kramer, Franz Felix Konen, Nadine Zehrfeld, Sonja Beider, Nils Kristian Prenzler, Vega Goedecke, Torsten Witte, Thomas Skripuletz, Diana Ernst
Summary: By systematically evaluating neurological manifestations of primary Sjogren's syndrome, we found that patients with neurological involvement had different clinical characteristics compared to those without neurological involvement. Male sex, older age, hospitalization at first presentation, lower IgG levels, and higher eosinophil values were identified as independent predictors of neurological involvement in Sjogren's syndrome. These findings suggest that neurological involvement in Sjogren's syndrome has been underestimated, and intensified screening for neurologic involvement should be included in the diagnostic algorithm.
JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl, Anna Pisarenko, Natalia Szejko, Martina Haas, Carolin Fremer, Ewgeni Jakubovski, Richard Musil, Alexander Muenchau, Irene Neuner, Daniel Huys, Ludger Tebartz van Elst, Christoph Schroeder, Rieke Ringlstetter, Armin Koch, Eva Beate Jenz, Anika Grosshennig
Summary: Preliminary data suggest that cannabis-based medicines might be a promising new treatment for patients with Tourette syndrome (TS)/chronic tic disorders (CTD) resulting in an improvement of tics, comorbidities, and quality of life. This study aimed to examine efficacy and safety of the cannabis extract nabiximols in adults with TS/CTD. Secondary analyses revealed trends for improvements of tics, depression, and quality of life, and subgroup analyses suggested that certain subgroups may benefit better from treatment with cannabis-based medication.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Pritesh Jain, Tyne Miller-Fleming, Apostolia R. Topaloudi, Dongmei K. Yu, Petros Drineas, Marianthi Georgitsi, Zhiyu Yang, Renata Rizzo, Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl, Zeynep A. Tumer, Nanette Mol Debes, Andreas S. Hartmann, Christel E. Depienne, Yulia S. Worbe, Pablo Mir, Danielle C. Cath, Dorret Boomsma, Veit Roessner, Tomasz Wolanczyk, Piotr Janik, Natalia Szejko, Cezary Zekanowski, Csaba Barta, Zsofia Nemoda, Zsanett Tarnok, Joseph D. Buxbaum, Dorothy Grice, Jeffrey Glennon, Hreinn Stefansson, Bastian Hengerer, Noa Benaroya-Milshtein, Francesco Cardona, Tammy Hedderly, Isobel Heyman, Chaim Huyser, Astrid Morer, Norbert Mueller, Alexander Munchau, Kerstin J. Plessen, Cesare Porcelli, Susanne Walitza, Anette Schrag, Davide Martino, Andrea Dietrich, Carol A. Mathews, Jeremiah M. Scharf, Pieter J. Hoekstra, Lea K. Davis, Peristera Paschou
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Oncology
Nora Moehn, Susann Mahjoub, Laura Duzzi, Emily Narten, Lea Grote-Levi, Gudrun Koerner, Tabea Seeliger, Gernot Beutel, Benjamin-Alexander Bollmann, Thomas Wirth, Andre Huss, Hayrettin Tumani, Imke Grimmelmann, Ralf Gutzmer, Philipp Ivanyi, Thomas Skripuletz
Summary: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have shown great potential in treating cancer, but the occurrence of immune-related adverse events, particularly neurological events, is a concern. Currently, there are no reliable biomarkers to diagnose and predict these events.
Article
Clinical Neurology
Valerie Brandt, Jana Essing, Ewgeni Jakubovski, Kirsten Mueller-Vahl
Summary: This study investigated the presence of premonitory urges (PU) in tic disorders. The results showed a significant association between tic severity and urge severity, with 85% of urge-related tics followed by relief. ADHD, depression, female gender, and older age increased the likelihood of experiencing PU, while more obsessive-compulsive symptoms and younger age were associated with higher urge intensities. PU, complex vocal tics, ADHD, OCD, anxiety, and depression were related to lower quality of life.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Rica Riechmann, Ewgeni Jakubovski, Jana Essing, Martina Haas, Christopher G. Goetz, Glenn T. Stebbins, Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl
Summary: Researchers have made improvements to the MRVS rating scale by shortening the recording time to 5 minutes and comparing it with the YGTSS-TTS. The results show that reducing the recording time does not significantly affect the assessment results, and the revised rating method has higher correlation with the YGTSS-TTS.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Antonios Bayas, Monika Christ, Simon Faissner, Juliane Klehmet, Refik Pul, Thomas Skripuletz, Sven G. Meuth, SPMS Working Group
Summary: Although the understanding of SPMS is evolving, early detection of relapse-independent progression remains difficult. The term RMS includes RRMS and SPMS with relapses, and disease-modifying therapies approved for RMS or active SPMS are used. However, there are differences in efficacy and safety evidence between drugs approved for RMS and SPMS. Clinical trials have shown that siponimod and interferon-beta 1b s.c. have significant reductions in disability progression in SPMS populations, but data on other drugs approved for RMS are limited to small subgroups and the potential to reduce relapse-independent progression is unclear.
THERAPEUTIC ADVANCES IN NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Ronja Weiblen, Carina Robert, Pauline Petereit, Marcus Heldmann, Thomas F. Muente, Alexander Muenchau, Kirsten Mueller-Vahl, Ulrike M. Kraemer
Summary: Persons with Tourette syndrome exhibit altered social behaviors, such as echophenomena and increased personal distress in emotional situations. A study was conducted to test the hypothesis of an overactive mirror neuron system in Tourette syndrome by examining echophenomena and empathy for pain in participants with Tourette syndrome and matched controls. The results showed that the Tourette syndrome group had significantly more echophenomena but no differences in empathic abilities compared to controls. Additionally, the Tourette syndrome group exhibited reduced neural differentiation between painful and neutral stimuli. This suggests that there may be altered processing of others' emotional states in Tourette syndrome, but the hypothesis of an overactive mirror neuron system could not be supported.
BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl, Anna Pisarenko, Carolin Fremer, Martina Haas, Ewgeni Jakubovski, Natalia Szejko
Summary: This study presents the first large sample of patients with Tourette syndrome and functional tic-like behaviors (FTB), aiming to raise awareness of this clinical presentation and guide differentiation between the two. The study found that FTB is a common comorbidity in Tourette syndrome, with specific clinical features such as complex movements, vocalizations, and psychological stress. Therefore, FTB should be ruled out before classifying a patient as treatment-resistant Tourette syndrome.
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)
Letter
Clinical Neurology
Kirsten R. Mueller-Vahl, Rica Riechmann, Ewgeni Jakubovski, Jana Essing, Martina Haas, Glenn T. Stebbins, Christopher G. Goetz
MOVEMENT DISORDERS CLINICAL PRACTICE
(2023)